It is often difficult for certain individuals to tie their shoes. Indeed, while shoes are typically necessary for protecting the feet and for traction, certain individuals may have difficulty reaching their feet. Specifically, individuals may include the very young, the elderly, and individuals at any age with disabilities that restrict their movements. Oftentimes, while an individual may be able to place their feet within a shoe, actually tying the shoelaces is almost if not impossible.
Shoes are presently made that are meant to be easier for individuals to tie or otherwise snugly engage attachment means so that shoes fit snugly on an individual's feet. One example of such a product includes shoes with hook-and-loop straps that are provided in place of shoelaces. The hook-and-loop straps thus allow an individual to place their feet within the shoes, and then by physically manipulating the straps, the individual, theoretically, can engage the hook-and-loop straps to engage the same and snugly hold the shoes on the individual's feet. As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a prior art shoe 10 having a hook-and-loop straps 12, 14 thereon is shown. The hook-and-loop straps 12, 14 each comprise a first portion 16 having a loop material (or a hook material) on a surface thereof and a second portion 18 having a mating hook material if the first portion 16 is a loop material (or a mating loop material if the first portion 16 comprises a hook material). A ring 20 disposed at a midpoint to the hook-and-loop straps 12, 14 may allow the hook-and-loop straps 12, 14 to fold between the first portion 16 and the second portion 18 so that the second portion 18 may be folded over and on top of the first portion 16, allowing the mating hook and loop surfaces of the first and second portions, 16, 18 to mate, thereby holding the hook-and-loop straps 12, 14 together.
However, while shoes having hook-and-loop straps may be easier in the sense that an individual having dexterity control of his or her fingers is not required to manually tie shoelaces these types of shoes are not altogether helpful for individuals that do not have the flexibility or dexterity to reach their shoes and manually grasp the hook-and-loop straps with their hands. Thus, a need exists for apparatuses, systems and methods providing easier engagement of hook-and-loop straps on shoes. More specifically, a need exists for apparatuses, systems and methods allowing an individual to physically manipulate the hook-and-loop straps on shoes without having the dexterity to reach the hook-and-loop straps.
Oftentimes, the hook-and-loop straps on shoes do not have any engagement element that would aid an individual in grasping the same without his or her hands. A need, therefore, exists for apparatuses, systems and methods allowing an individual to engage hook-and-loop straps on shoes with an appliance or other engagement apparatus so that the hook-and-loop straps may be manipulated from a distance. More specifically, a need exists for apparatuses, system and methods whereby an individual can remotely manipulate the hook-and-loop straps on shoes.